The putter stroke can be regarded as the most important stroke for a golfer since putting represents about one-half the score of a golfer during a golf game. A number of devices for practicing and improving putting technique has been presented in the past.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,063 discloses a device having a number of posts projecting upwardly from an upper surface of a mat as to form two rows intended for guiding a putter head during a stroke. A tee may be placed in a cavity in the top of each post. GB2271722 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,685 disclose devices equipped with two parallel L-shaped rails that define the path of the putter head. U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,574 discloses a similar design that further is provided with a buzzer alert arrangement. U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,995 discloses a device comprising guide walls that principally have the same function as the L-shaped rails. WO88/09689 discloses a rather complicated device using electromagnetic sensors and audio generators for detection of putter head deviation from straight path of travel.
A common feature of conventional putting practice devices is that they firmly guide, or interrupt, the movement of a putter head that deviates from the intended path. An effect of this is that the putter head is efficiently guided into the correct path. Another effect is that a user of the device becomes notified in a very clear way if an incorrect putting stroke has been conducted.
However, this has also the effect that the device controls the user which makes it difficult for the user to carry out the putting stroke in a relaxed and natural manner.
Another common feature of conventional putting practice devices is that they are designed for a straight path of the putter head. However, a more thorough analysis of the putting stroke yields that the path of a putter head during a putting stroke is not straight but a more or less elliptic curve. Conventional putting practice devices appear not to take this into account.